My son, who just turned 7, was diagnosed at age 5. Our gp sent us to a pediatrician, who made the dx, by just seeing him once and with a couple of those multiple choice tests that we filled out as well as his teacher (who had him for one month, and the previous year's teacher refused because he wasn't at that school any more). We held off on meds for about 6 months (the pede was really pushing it) and then we gave in. I'm wondering about the dx, since the meds didn't really make that much of a difference. Shouldn't he have seen a psychiatrist instead of a pede??? We were sent back to the gp and she increased the dose last week. We'll see what happens in school, since it will be fully in his system by then. I think that it is more learning issues, but the school won't test for another year, but by then he will be really behind. He barely passed with C's and D's and one B (gym). He does have behavioural issues, especially around other children when things don't go his way. We've had him in counselling, but they said there isn't really anything that they can do to help. I'm not sure that this is fully adhd. He is unfocused and hyper at times, but there's social issues, academic issues and behavioural issues. I don't know where to go from here!! I want to help him so much, but there's a limit to what I can do as a parent.

ADHD is a real diagnosis and one that can be very stressful for parents to deal with. It can also be very manageable because there are different options for treatment such as behavioral therapy and medication. Both of these are viable choices. It is my hope that as a community you can support each other in an effort to learn more about this diagnosis.

Barbell---Iam 15 and i have ADHD and ODD and you know not all these parents like my mom feed there kids junk nor do they drag there kids around i can see you obviously have no idea what your talking about because if you had a child that has ADHD and ODD you would know just because the kid didnt get enough sleep or because the parents arent feeding them the right food is absoultly NOT the reason a child has ADHA or ODD or ADD oh and as a child with this diagnosis it is kind of nice when your parent(s) do act as a friend sometimes.

Iam an adult with ADHD. I'm almost 60 yrs.old.My son (38yrs.) also has this & my father(82).And I suspect also my grandchildren(mother won't take them in for diagnosis,because they score high on thier academics&are involved in sports). My father was diagnosis as"hyperactive"& prescribed Preludin in the . 50's.In the 60's I was refered to as "hyperactive& hypersensetive& slow at comprehension" by the school.No medication suggested,but did suggest speach therapy.In the late 70's my son was diagnosed with ADHD & prescribed Ritalin,which he disliked . I struggled most of my life with jobs;relationships(intimate;family;friends).I felt misunderstood;attacked on different levels;of below normal intelligence& that I didn't belong anywhere.diagnosed ADHD at42yrs old prescribed adderal,made a world of difference ADHD symptons are obvious when not on meds.At55 I got a chronic disease,the medications conflicts with Adderal.So now I take Celexa(also a serotonin uptake).I don't get the full effect I got on adderal.I've problems again with attention& memory& sometimes stammering(feeling pressured).So now I'm back with people losing patience with me ,because I "look" normal& I'm intelligent. If The medical&scientific communities can keep another human from going through this,then the sooner the better.I lost so much of my life.So many opprotunties lost;bridges burned;mental misery:low self-esteem. If you love a child you should get them all the help available'so they can reach thier potential.

I believe ADHD is WAY out of control. From the parents I have observed they do not discipline or establish who is the head person(s) of the family from the start. Children are not disciplined at all these days compared to yesteryear. Spanking does not hurt children "spare the rod and spoil the child". Sorry to say you have no further to look than watch how animals discipline their young. If you do not establish a "leader" the child will be out of control. They NEED direction, don't be their friend you are their parent(leader) discipline is showing you care and love them. Another factor is---lack of sleep. People drag their kids all over do not put them to bed early enough etc. This is a BIG problem with adults also, the brain needs to rest in order to function properly. And lastly----STOP feeding your children all the sugar. I watch children in grocery stores acting up and look in the grocery cart and see all the sugar drinks and sugar cereal, well what do you expect?

I definately know that my hubby, who is waiting to get into a pdoc, is not slow. He is VERY intelligent. I just think he lacks the focus us use his intelligence to the best of his ability.

They article said "delayed" which means something different to me than "slow." There are plenty of ADHD kids with normal to above average intelligence. I like to tell parents the medication is ideally like a pair of eye glasses, helping the child to focus, but they don't (and shouldn't) change your personality, behavior, intelligence, or work ethic. All those things are still up to the individual.

My son, who is now 42 years old, was tested during first grade because they thought he was "slow". I knew he wasn't , but said go ahead. They came back to me in amazement saying he tested in the genius category. He was not diagnosed until later years because ADDH diagnosis weren't done then. Later, when he responded to ritalin, doctors said he must be ADDH.I would say you need to define what you mean by "slow". I guess you mean slow to develop control over some things, not slow intelligence-wise. My grandson has been diagnosed as ADDH and he , like his Dad, is anything but slow in the intelligence department.I would like some clarity on what parts of the ADD child's development is slow.

My 12 year old daughter was diagnosed 3 years ago with ADD. Like some people here, I thought this was something that was overdiagnosed and overmedicated. However, after two or three years of struggling to get school work done - not because of lack of desire or lack of discipline, (thank you all you high horse riders)but because she was unable to focus, we went through the diagnosing process. This was not a one-time pediatrician visit but required that questionnaires be completed by several of her teachers,as well as us and a couple of other folks. Also observation in the classroom by the school psychologist. Then we visited with her pediatrician, reviewed the results and listened to his recommendations. We started her on medication. It was nothing short of MIRACULOUS and has made it possible for her to function and do well in school. We don't have to struggle over 15 minutes worth of homework for 2 hours any more. Her self esteem has improved vastly.

For those of you who think this is not a real disorder, please read the research before you spout your misguided information here. I'm not saying that it can't be overdiagnosed - that would be naieve. But it is a real, biologically based disorder. As our doctor told my daughter - it is like being born with blue eyes. It's just the way God made you. It is different parenting an ADD child, but they are wonderful.

Also, for the grandmother who said her grandchild could not be ADHD because he was able to focus for more than ten minutes - that is a flawed analysis. One problem ADHD kids have is HYPERfocus. They are quite capable, and often do, become fixated on things for long periods of time. The trouble comes when they focus on the wrong things at the wrong times.

My husband is ADHD as well, and was diagnosed/medicated for it in the 80s. He had a rough time with his meds and refuses, now, to medicate even though he clearly needs to. He has issues with keeping a job because he works more slowly, loses focus, etc. But all he remembers of his time on meds is being unable to sleep and having no appetite. We struggled with those issues with our daughter as well, but eventually found meds that worked for her. He won't even CONSIDER looking into this with his doctor. His lack of focus and inability to pay attention has stressed our relationship a lot. We are considering having a child together (he's my 2nd hubby) and that's one thing that worries me. What if I leave him with the baby, and he's too wrapped up in his tv show to pay attention to what is going on around him? It's a stressor.

Bottom line folks, please don't be judgmental. We are doing the best we can for our kids, and our parenting is not to blame for their issues. This is the way God made them.

I agree that ADHD does affect 5% of the people who are diagnosed with it; the problem seems to be sorting those out from the rest of them. Seems to me that the trend is to pin a medical diagnosis on every single undisciplined behaviour from indiscriminate sexual behaviours to relentless shrieking and throwing things.

I do recommend that if your child does have a behavioural disorder, you tell other parents why s/he is *acting out* -- most of us will be more accommodating if we know it is not simply bratty behaviour. I also recommend removing him or her from the situation if s/he is obviously creating problems for others. If you can.

NJblocker, my heart goes out to you. A common comorbidity with ADHD is oppositional defiant disorder. Speak to your doctor or psychologist about it. I'm not saying your daughter has that, but it sounds like there is more than one thing going on. I would recommend a support group and family therapy for you if you can. There are many other parents who struggle as you do with chlidren like this and you might find their ideas and support helpful.

My son has ADHD Inattentive Type. He is not hyper, nor is he impulsive and he's got great social skills. His problem is staying focused. He would start his work and then stop and look around and become fascinated by any little thing. One teacher watched him pick up white out on his finger for 15 minutes. It's hard to excel when you can't stay focused on your work. When he tested he showed above average scores. I have no regrets about putting him on the medication. As a matter of fact when I saw the big difference in his grades I cried thinking how he could have been doing well a lot longer had I not fought the idea at first. We have to do what we have to do for our children. They are individuals and must be treated as such. For anyone who thinks medication is a replacement for good parenting, not in our case.

I have 9 year old daughter with ADHD. She was diagnosed in kindergarten. I know she struggles to stay focused in the school environment, and seems to be a constant target for bullies because of her reaction to them. I have to say I have difficulty finding effective ways to discipline her and calm her down when she becomes angry so quickly over the slightest frusteration, such as unscrewing the cap of a juice bottle. When she was younger I expected it more, but know she is 9, I don't get why she is still acting like she is 2. She has real anger issues, and I find myself at a loss as to how to handle her outbursts of behaviour, other then threatening to leave the park or wherever we are that is fun. The other day she had some kind of irritation on her skin by her elbow. We went swimming in a pool, and it was burning, but instead of getting out of the pool and telling me it hurt, she starts screaming at the top of her lungs like someone was killing her in the pool. I was so embaressed and didn't wish to seem unsympathetic, but it was such a loud horrrible scream, you would have thought she had undergone severe trauma. She constantly says that she hates her life and that she has the "worst luck". My Mom says that she is just an undisciplined child, I don't know what to think.

Had adhd all my life and trying to make it work that makes me stronger every day

I don't know whether ADHD is over diagnosed in children, I have not reached a point where my daughter is even at a stage for discovering this problem, my daughter is only one. However, after going to several months of marriage counseling, our psychologist has advised my husband be checked for Adult ADH. We are making an appointment with a psychiatrist tomorrow, because the psychologist feels that quite a few of the issues in our marriage we have been dealing with can be attributed to his ADHD-the lack of focus, addictive personality, lack of ability to see reality for what it really is.

I wouldn't tell anyone they are bad because they don't want to have their child evaluated for this legit medical issue, but I would like to point out that in my personal experience, I think a child would be more receptive to being tested for this issue and would be more open to the treatment than an adult. It has caused a world of hurt for me in my marriage being married to someone who never knew he had ADHD, not only because I didn't know why he does the things he does, but also because at 32, the suggestion that he had the diagnosis was met with resistance and even anger at me and the therapist for even SUGGESTING he get help.

I only wish his Mother, peditrician and teachers would have, I don't know, known more, looked harder, or whatever, because now, as the spouse, I have literally been put through hell. Maybe it wasn't diagnosed in the 80's like it is today, but it would have been helpful to know and treat when he was younger. Not only for myself, but for him. When you hit your "rock bottom" with this illness, it is a family killer, it is horrible for everyone, and who wants that for their child and their spouse.

I honestly hope that this is not a diagnosis that is "over used", but on the other hand, if you do think this is something that your child has, I hope you do get it treated, however is best with you-medication, CBT, holistically. It can affect every aspect of your child's life when they are an adult from their jobs, to their relationships, to their marriage.

You could save them, yourself and others that care about them a lot of struggle and pain.

I have been a pediatrician for 17 years and this is definitely a real diagnosis, but I agree, it is sometimes too quickly made, and just like any medical condition from asthma to diabetes, there is a spectrum of severity both in symptom manifestation and coping skills of the individual from mild to severe. It is clearly inherited and clearly has a neurochemical cause. This is definitely not just "boys being boys" because I've seen plenty of girls suffering from it. I do agree that our current educational system, so dominantly femininely administrated and designed, is straight-jacketing boys to a degree and highly recommend "Real Boys" by William Pollack to every educator.

I also agree that there are too many medications used and too much reliance on drugs alone. Just like other medical conditions, diet, exercise, behavior modification, and other therapies can enhance what medication assists. The pill doesn't fix ADHD anymore than insulin alone fixes diabetes.

Having said that, when the diagnosis is made by a qualified practitioner, and everyone agrees on a treatment plan, the kids on medication do WAY better in school performance, self-esteem, reducing injuries and high risk behaviors like drug use and teen pregnancy. This has been shown in multiple reputable studies NOT funded by pharmaceutical companies, and is born out in my own practice.

I am very holistic and often prescribe massage therapy, Yoga, and visits to nutritionist for many conditions, and do not consider myself a drug pusher, but when carefully monitored, medication in ADHD is invaluable, and I have seen many families who agree, but the trick is to pay close attention to the child because each one is very unique. One size does not fit all, and the individual and his family still have to take responsibility for managing their symptoms and overall health.

My foster grandson (whose mother had never even babysat before she adopted him, but who read lots of current books) was diagnosed with ADHD by the public school system, and was medicated so heavily that he had to be placed in a treatment facility to be weaned off the cornucopia of drugs in his system. Once this was accomplished, the school arranged for family counseling at which both his Big Brother (through the program of the same name) and I were requested to attend. After a very thorough session, both his Big Brothers and my suspicions were confirmed: the youngster was a physically very active boy who was behind grade level due both to his disinterest in the life of the mind, and to developmental delays occasioned, probably, by the circumstances of his birth and subsequent life in a foreign orphanage. The Big Brother had involved him in Scouting, and testified that he was a keen Scout and very accomplished at outdoor games and camping-related activities. I testified that he was a keen photographer of birds and animals, and that I had seen him sit rock-solid-still in a flock of Canada Geese for almost ten minutes so that they would forget about him and he could photograph them acting naturally. Although his mother said he could not get along with other children, both small animals and toddlers gravitated to him in playgrounds and parks, and he actually trained my cat to roll a ball back to him.

It is my personal opinion that a very large percentage of ADHD diagnoses are made by people who are trying to use medication to counteract the natural tendency of boys to resemble German Shepherds -- that is, a boy who has been confined in a classroom for 8 hours has a crying need to get outdoors and run, fight, wrestle, chase things, scream, yell and play. Modern urban society requires this boy instead to go home to a small apartment and confine himself indoors in front of a screen. This expectation produces the inevitable results.

The problem is not a Syndrome, and the answer is not drugs. The problem is a growing lack of understanding of the normal needs and behaviours of little boys -- largely due to both the shrinking family and the probability that mothers and fathers both have never had experience with babies, toddlers or small children before giving birth, and to the rising tendency to slap a medical label on every behaviour problem, thus absolving both parents and other adults from the necessity of actually rearing children.

Just for one example: my foster grandsons mother said that he was unable to pay attention to or follow instructions. In my first walk through the park with mother and child (he was 8 years old) I found that she constantly yelled at him when he got ahead of us on the path, and that indeed he paid no attention to that. My solution was one I had used on active little nephews: I suggested to him that we see how many times he could run around a big oak tree. Mom and I sat on a nearby bench and I counted aloud as he ran himself dizzy. When he finally dropped to the grass, his eyes shining with excitement, I congratulated him for the astounding total he had reached, rewarded him with an ice cream cone, and we resumed our walk with Junior perfectly happy to walk with us to the playground where he could resume speed.

ADHD was unknown until grants made it financially advantageous to invent it. If parents would start rearing their children again, 95% of these cases would disappear overnight.

So If children out grow this disorder why are there adults with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder